A Pokemon Adventure for Tracy
by blah217
Summary: Tracy Sketchit has been Professor Oak's assistant for a few months when Oak decides to send him on an errand to the Johto region where his old pal Mr. Pokemon lives. Tracy must deliver a Prototype Pokedex and keep it safe from Team Rocket. Tracy befriends a young trainer from Hoenn as they travel from Kanto to Johto in a matter of weeks. Feat. OC's Gideon, Naomi, and Simon.
1. An errand, or an adventure?

As the morning sun rose above the horizon, the dim landscape around Pallet town shined like gold as Tracy Sketchit's alarm made its daily wake-up call.

"Ring Ring Ring, Ring Ring Ring! Wake-up! Wake-up!" screamed the Pidgey-shaped alarm clock. Tracy crawled out of bed as he rubbed his eyes tenderly.

"Another day, another adventure", recited Tracy as he turned off the alarm. Within five minutes, Tracy had gotten dressed, brushed his teeth, and finished his morning routine before making his way down the stairs of Oak's family home.

He had been the great Pokémon Professor's assistant for several months now, but it still felt weird to wake up in someone else's home. He often thought about his family in the Orange Islands, wondering how they were. In his weekly calls back home, his mother and father would remind him how proud they were of his chosen career choice. However, he hadn't seen them in person for a long time, longer than his time in Oak's lab, and longer than his journey with Ash and Misty.

"Why, good morning Tracy", said a cheerful Professor Oak as the young lab assistant entered the professor's laboratory.

"You've got quite a handful of chores today, young man. The Pokemon outside need their daily Pokémon chow and I need you to run an errand for me. It's quite urgent," said the professor with a grin as if he knew something Tracy didn't know.

"Sure Professor, I'd be happy to help! After I finish feeding all the trainers' Pokémon I'll run the errand for you", said an enthusiastic Tracy before letting out a yawn. He was still groggy from yesterday's chores. He shuddered at the thought of giving another one of Ash's Tauros a bath or a haircut again.

The professor smiled and, picking up a letter off of his desk, read it for a moment before responding. "Thank you Tracy, although I am quite concerned that you might not be qualified for this task."

Tracy stopped himself from leaving out of surprise at his boss's condescending attitude. "What do you mean, professor?"

With a frown, Oak thought for a moment before responding. "For now, my boy, finish your chores and then I will tell you of my dilemma. This can wait for now until I make a few phone calls first."

After waving the matter off, Oak went back to work in his lab while Tracy went outside to feed the Pokémon. As eccentric as the professor could be, taking care of so many people's Pokémon had to be his weirdest quirk. As an unwritten rule, Oak allowed all trainers who have ever entered his lab a place to raise their Pokémon. Like a Pokémon Day Care Center or sanctuary, trainers could send their Pokémon to his lab and leave them there for an extended period of time. An artist like Tracy found it thrilling to have so many Pokémon to sketch, but to an average person, Oak's property was a zoo of hundreds of species of Pokémon.

Tracy opened up the orange-colored feed bin that contained the specialized chow that over a dozen species of Bird Pokémon were specifically allowed to eat. An unofficial subset of the Flying type, these Pokémon mostly included many Normal/Flying type Pokémon on the grounds.

A Dodrio rushed behind Tracy and was about to dive one of its three heads into the bin until its second head pecked at the first, causing all three to break into a fight. Tracy sighed at the sight as he watched the heads nearly tie themselves into a knot.

According to the Pokedex, each of Dodrio's heads had their own personality that often caused disputes between the heads. Tracy wondered whether or not this was true, since many Pokémon trainers often uploaded their own entries into the Pokedex. Oak had warned him not to take the entries to heart, since some of Kanto's Pokedex entries were based on old wives' tales.

"Dodrio! Dodrio!" screeched two of Dodrio's heads as the middle head choked the others into a knot. Tracy reached over and untied the middle head from the others before petting it.

"There you go," said Tracy as he scooped up some chow and filled up Dodrio's three food bowls on the ground. The Pokémon shrieked in thanks before pecking at its food.

With that, Tracy went about his business feeding the other trainers' various Pokémon that resided at Oak's property, including thirty Tauros that Ash Ketchum himself once caught at the Safari Zone in Kanto.

'Who needs that many Tauros anyway?' thought Tracy as he threw some hay into the feeding trough for them.

Many of the Pokémon that Tracy tended to belonged to his friend, Ash. He could see a Muk, a Snorlax, a Kingler, and a Bulbasaur playing at a nearby oak tree. Tracy knew these Pokémon well in the time he had worked there. He knew their temperament, personalities, and natures along with their preferred type of meals. Some of the trainer's Pokémon treated him as if he _was _their trainer. In fact, Ash's Muk would playfully tackle Tracy every chance it got, a privilege shared with Ash and the professor.

'He won't catch me this time', thought Tracy as he dumped the chow into Muk's bowl and ran away.

Finished with all of the Pokémon, Tracy ran back to the lab in an effort to not get caught by Muk. Oddly enough, he had not seen the Pokémon anywhere. Opening the sliding glass door, Tracy slid into the building and caught his breath.

"Well, that wasn't so hard", said Tracy to himself as he walked forward. Suddenly, Tracy felt a heap of slime pile up on his back, knocking him face-first to the ground. "Muk! How did you get in here?" yelled a surprised Tracy. "MUUUUUKKKKK!" cried Muk happily now that he found his friend.

"I can't play with you today, Muk. Some other time, okay?" said Tracy as he stood up. Frowning, the sad Muk slid back outside through the open window.

Tracy went over to Professor Oak's office to ask for further instructions of his mission. Sitting at his desk, Oak looked up from his computer to see a roughed-up looking Tracy, covered it dirt and muck from his work outside.

"My, you look ready to take on the world", said the professor, "Have you finished with your chores?"

"Yes sir, professor. I'm ready for this mission that you spoke of earlier", said Tracy with a look of determination.

"Hmm. Are you sure you want to run this errand? You haven't even heard of what the job entails. I must warn you, it might be dangerous. It is also a long journey that includes a trip to the Johto region," said the Professor.

"Wow! A trip to the Johto region? Isn't that where Ash went to deliver the GS Ball?" asked Tracy. He had joined Ash and Misty's trip to deliver the GS Ball to Oak from Professor Ivy from the Orange Islands. After leaving their friend, Brock, with Ivy, Ash and Misty needed another friend to join them on their adventure through the islands. Tracy, also on a journey through the islands as a Pokémon sketch artist, had the experience as a cook and map-reader to make himself useful on the trio's quest. In fact, his journey with Ash and Misty led him to his current job with his idol, the Pokémon Professor Oak.

"Right you are, my boy. The recipient of this package lives in the woods near Cherrygrove city in the eastern part of the Johto region. I would mail it if he had an address, but it is also too risky. I myself have visited this gentleman's lodge many times to discuss Pokémon and other things. You see, we go way back to when we were both colleagues," said Oak with a look of fondness as he thought of the old days.

"Is he a Pokémon Professor too, professor?" asked Tracy.

"Well, sort of. You see, this man has an interest in Pokémon much like my own. However, he chose a different path and became a Pokémon enthusiast. He also chose to live in seclusion from society to study Pokémon in the wild. People call him Mr. Pokémon, because of his knowledge and love for all things Pokémon. I myself can't seem to remember his name. Now what was his name again?" asked Oak as he looked at Tracy for an answer.

"I'm not sure, professor. What's the package again?" asked Tracy, puzzled.

"Ah! The package! Where did I put the thing," asked Oak as he fumbled through his piles of paperwork. Pulling a small box from under his desk, the professor handed it to Tracy before continuing.

"Before you decide whether or not to take this errand, know this. Since your time working here, I've known you are a trustworthy assistant. I cannot trust this item with any other assistant because of the item's value. I have to ask you though, can I trust you to keep a secret? You must swear to not speak of this to anyone," said Professor Oak with a solemn expression.

"I swear not to tell," said Tracy with his hand up as he crossed his heart with his other hand.

"Excellent! I will tell you what you are allowed to know about the item. Inside the box you are holding is a prototype Pokedex that several Pokémon Professors and myself whipped up based off of data collected from nearly a hundred trainers on their journeys. Unlike the last Pokedex I gave to our friend Ash, this one is special. It contains data inputted by professors all around the world. This is the only Pokedex of its kind to feature data on every single Pokémon in over 24 regions around the world."

Tracy's eyes grew big with astonishment. "All the Pokémon in the whole world? Wow, I bet there are hundreds of them".

"Not so fast," said the Professor. "We still don't know every Pokémon in the world; we just know all of the ones trainers have encountered up to this point. There are still lots of mysteries left out there. I also believe there are even more legendary Pokémon to be discovered in the world other than the ones we have heard rumors about in Kanto".

Tracy shook his head. "There's no way there are more legendary Pokémon out there. If there were even a dozen legendary Pokémon, then they wouldn't be so legendary now, would they?"

"Right you are, young one," said Oak with a chuckle, "Now that you know what this item is, do you still want to deliver it? I need a powerful and trustworthy trainer to deliver this item to Mr. Pokémon as soon as possible. He and a few of my colleagues will be at his lodge to make a few necessary adjustments to the Pokedex".

"But professor, you know me", said Tracy, "I've been your assistant for a while already! I know I can handle this errand. It would be exciting to go on an adventure in the Johto region. What are you worried about?"

"The police in both regions have had their hands full with Team Rocket lately. It seems like they are getting bolder with their crimes. I fear that if they were to catch word of this prototype, they would steal it. You are the only person I have available who can possibly complete this mission, a mission that is crucial to the development of our research into Pokémon. Although you have my trust with such responsibility, you are not the trainer I would have selected first. With Gary and Ash busy, I found myself in need of your help. Do you have what it takes to protect this device?" asked Oak.

"But professor," replied Tracy defiantly, "I'm still a trainer. I might not be as powerful as Ash or Gary, or even Misty, but I know I can handle whatever danger comes my way. You can count on me sir!"

The Professor let out a chuckle. "That's what I like to hear. I take it that you have fully accepted this task. Here is a map that will help you when you get to the Johto region. I will also give you plenty of food and money to get you there, although you should probably avoid battling other trainers. They might take your money if you lose".

Oak handed Tracy a detailed map of the Johto region. On the back, their region of Kanto was also drawn but with less details and a simpler style.

"Thank you, professor. How long will it take me to get to Cherrygrove city from here?" asked Tracy.

"Why, normally it would take more than several months on foot. However, due to the importance of the delivery, I am giving you less than two weeks to get there. My other assistants can take care of things until you return. I will personally meet you there if I can finish my report to the University by then. To help speed up your journey, I am lending you my boat ticket to Olivine City. This S.S. ticket will get you to the Johto region if you can get to Vermillion City first. You've been on a boat before, so you know what to do."

"Thank you", said Tracy as he received the ticket, "but if this package is a secret, then what will I tell people if the police or someone asks what I'm doing travelling to the Johto region?"

"Ah! That reminds me of what your cover story will be. Since you are going on a journey, you must not acknowledge your role in my lab. No one must know of your job here and you cannot tell anyone of the prototype. Tell as few people as possible of your destination and only those who can take you there. To help you on your journey, you may go with a friend or two but don't tell them either. In essence, you are being a Pokémon trainer for a few weeks until you deliver the Pokedex," said Oak.

"I'll make sure this gets to Mr. Pokémon for you sir. You can count on me", said Tracy.

As Oak dismissed him, Tracy prepared his leave of absence. He said his goodbyes to most of the Pokémon, including Ash's Muk and Snorlax (although Snorlax was too asleep to notice). Muk tackled him as if he wanted him to stay.

"Muuuuukkkkk!" yelled Muk as he watched him go. "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it," said Tracy as he went back inside.

With a shower and a good meal later, Tracy was on his feet with his supplies packed and ready to go. Tracy had his three Pokémon in Pokeballs on the table as he shrunk each one down and placed them on his belt.

Oak approached him at the bottom of the stairwell as he came down the stairs with all of his things.

"I see you have your three Pokémon with you. However, you will need more than three to help you get there safely. Because of the importance of this mission, I am giving you three extra Pokémon in these Pokeballs to add to your party for the mean time", said Oak as he handed Tracy the three Pokeballs one at a time, "this one contains the fire starter, Charmander's final evolution, Charizard. This Charizard is much nicer than the one you were acquainted with in your journey with Ash. He is very experienced with battling and should prove useful to you for battles or protection. However, Charizard is still an aggressive Pokémon. I should know- I raised this one since he was a little Charmander. Treat him with respect, and he will probably get along with you just fine. I'm not sure about these other two Pokémon. They were sent to me via PC by my grandson today. Now what was his name again? Anyways, they are also quite powerful according to him, but friendly enough for you to be able to use them effectively".

Tracy picked up the Pokeballs and gathered his stuff downstairs. "Don't worry Professor; I might not even need to use them. My Marill has gotten stronger since my last battle, and my Scyther is tough enough to make any Charizard faint. I'll be back before you know it."

"I know you will. Remember, you better make sure this device doesn't fall into the wrong hands like Team Rocket. With this device, they could know everything about Pokémon and use this information for evil", said Oak.

After saying his farewell, Tracy waved goodbye to the professor as he departed from Pallet Town into the great unknown. A flock of Spearow flew by in the sky as Butterfree, Oddish, and Pidgey played in the tall grass nearby. Tracy smiled while looking at the horizon, ready to take on whatever the Kanto region had to throw at him.


	2. First Steps

Professor Samuel Oak concentrated on his work as he gazed onto the computer screen.

"Ah yes. If you carry the four and subtract a thousand volts, you have yourself a high quality flux capacitor!" cheered Oak.

Sitting at his desk, Oak carefully made calculations on his notepad as he read the numbers on the screen. His lab, as always, was cluttered with various lab equipment and boxes. The left corner of his lab was stacked to the ceiling with boxes containing his life's work. As the greatest Pokemon professor in the world, he had no time to clean up his workspace. 'If Tracy were here, he could help with the cleaning', thought Oak. Tracy was one of his hardest working assistants in the lab, feeding and taking care of the various Pokemon that trainers had left behind. Why, Oak's own grandson had captured so many Pokemon that the entire backyard was teeming with fauna.

"Now what was my grandson's name again?" asked Oak to himself as he leaned back in his chair. All of this data crunching is making me forgetful, thought Oak. Suddenly, the man remembered a critical warning he had forgotten to warn Tracy about before departing an hour ago. Tracy had been sent by Oak on an errand to deliver a prototype Pokedex to one of his old friends, Mr. Pokemon.

However, Oak realized a mistake he had made in sending Tracy to him.

"Oh my, I seem to have forgotten to give him money for the trip!" said the astonished professor. While Tracy had packed all of his necessary supplies for the short journey, he would need money for the bus!

'How forgetful of me', he thought. Tracy had promised to call him as soon as he made it to Viridian City.

"Oh well, I'm sure he'll be fine until he gets to the next town", said Oak as he looked at his watch and went back to work.

…

Meanwhile, Tracy found himself lost in thought as he remembered the time he and his friends explored the Orange Islands together. He remembered all times he sketched portraits of the various Pokemon he and his friends encountered as they made their way through the Orange Islands.

Although he loved his job at Oak's lab, he secretly longed for the days when things were simpler. In those days, he felt more alive than he'd ever been. Those blue skies over the green fields and forests surrounded by horizon were the most invigorating parts of his last adventure.

Sadly, all journeys come to an end. Tracy remembered the day Ash and Misty left with their old friend Brock to explore the Johto region. Although he himself chose to stay with the Professor, sometimes he wondered what things might have been if he had joined them.

'I wish they'd tell me how things are doing out there', thought Tracy. Although he knew his friends were probably busy in the Johto region, it still hurt that they don't call him like they do with the professor.

In the present, Tracy was at the door to Delia Ketchum's house. The mother of Tracy's friend Ash, Delia was nice to Tracy and often invited him and Oak for dinner.

With a knock, the door opened and Mrs. Ketchum was there to greet him.

"Why, Tracy! This is a pleasant surprise. What brings you here? Mr. Mime is making lunch if you'd like some," said Mrs. Ketchum with a smile.

Tracy and Delia entered the living room as the television blared headline news. Mr. Mime could be seen in the kitchen stirring something in a pot as he gleefully shouted his own name. A pile of dust littered the floor along with a broom and dustpan, an obvious indication of Delia's afternoon cleaning.

"I apologize for the interruption, Mrs. Ketchum. The Professor is sending me on a long errand and I was wondering if I could borrow something of Ash's. Does he still have that bike? I could use it to get to my destination quicker," said Tracy. He remembered Ash complaining to him about it on their last journey together. He had gotten it as a late birthday present from a relative. Apparently, it was too girly for a boy to use.

"Why, I believe he left it outside by the garden before he went on his journey. That boy always forgot to bring it along. He hasn't remembered to bring it with him for every journey he's been in. I think it's a nice bike, very expensive. I'd be happy to let you borrow it. Are you travelling alone on your journey? It can dangerous to go by yourself," said Delia as she continued to sweep the floor.

Mr. Mime walked over and handed him a bowl of noodles as the three of them made their way to the dining room to eat.

Between mouthfuls of ramen, Tracy responded, "Well it is an urgent errand for the Professor, so I won't actually be going on an adventure or anything. It would be nice to have a travelling buddy, but Professor Oak told me not to trust anyone."

Delia smiled as Mr. Mime cheerfully ate his meal. All around the room were family photos mounted on the wall of Delia and a younger-looking Ash. She lost herself for a moment as she thought about her son. Looking back to her guest, Delia wondered.

"Would you mind if I ask what kind of errand this is? Are you going to visit a Mister Pokemon in the Johto region by any chance?" asked Delia.

"Why yes", said a puzzled Tracy, "how did you know?"

"Why the Professor did, of course! He told me about it last weekend when we were eating supper here. He's been planning for weeks to send someone to deliver the ProtoDex. I'm actually visiting him today, come to think of it."

"Wait, he told you about the prototype? I thought it was a secret mission," asked Tracy, confused and slightly upset. "Why would he risk something like that?"

"Why, don't be so hard on him. He just trusts me, that's it. Don't worry, it's still a secret errand for you. I'm the only one he's told out of the lab. Do you know how long it'll take to get back?" asked Delia.

"The professor wants me to be back in about two weeks," answered Tracy.

"Sounds like a short adventure. You'll have to make the most of it and have as much fun as you can," said Delia, "I'm sure a friend wouldn't hurt. Believe me, my son would not be able to do the amazing thing's he's accomplished without a few friends".

"I suppose you're right," said Tracy, "thank you for the noodles Mrs. Ketchum. They're really good".

"Don't thank me," said Delia, "thank Mr. Mime. He did all the cooking."

"Mister Mime! Mime! Mime Mime," cried Mr. Mime with a bow of gratitude.

Tracy and Delia talked for a couple more minutes until they finished their meals. Tracy thanked her for the meal and made his way outside where sure enough, Ash's old abandoned bike was where Delia said it was. Tracy wiped the dust off the handlebars as he adjusted the seat for his height. The bike did seem kind of girly. A basket lined with decorative plastic flowers, Clefairy, Staryu, and Jigglypuff stickers on the front and a horn that apparently made the sound of a Seel when pressed made this bike the most feminine bike Tracy had ever seen.

Tracy cringed at the sight of it while Mr. Mime clapped his hands with adoration.

"Isn't it lovely?" remarked Delia as her eyes lit up with hearts, "I don't understand why my son would be ashamed of it".

"Uh, right," said Tracy as he scratched the back of his head, "it's a real mystery".

After a couple minutes to say farewell, Tracy got on the bicycle and peddled away towards the North, where the scenic Route 1 was located.

…

Ten minutes later, Tracy passed through Route 1 and into the city limits of Viridian City. After getting to the Pokemon Center, he decided to give the professor a call.

Tracy propped the girly bike at the bike rack near the building and went inside to the phone booths. He then dialed the familiar numbers into the Magnemite-shaped corded phone. Soon enough, Oak's face appeared on the screen as a camera did the same for Tracy.

"…What? Tracy! How goes there? I see you already made it to Viridian City, correct?" asked the professor as he smiled.

"Yes sir, Professor," said Tracy, "I borrowed Ash's bike from Mrs. Ketchum. It's pretty handy for an errand like this."

"Oh, and I forgot to give you something," said Oak as his face lit up, "What was it again?"

"What? The extra Pokemon? You gave them to me," said Tracy.

"No, it was something important. Oh well", said Oak with a sigh, "I'm sure it'll come to me eventually. Which reminds me, how are my Pokemon treating you?"

"You know what? I haven't checked them out yet," said Tracy, "I'll take a look right now."

As Tracy said this, he began to take his Pokeballs out of his belt before being interrupted by the Professor.

"Whoa there! That Charizard can't be let loose in the Pokemon Center! It's unsafe", yelled a nervous Oak, "just check them out later when you're outside and away from buildings. Remember my motto: there's a time and place for everything!"

"Alright Professor, you're absolutely right", said Tracy apologetically, "there is a time and place for everything. I gotta go now and continue my journey, say hello to Ash and Misty for me next time you hear from them."

As they made their goodbyes, Tracy hung up the phone and made his way back outside to the bike rack, where he made a sobering discovery.

Up the road from the Pokemon Center was an old man sprawled out in the middle of the road, laying face-up on the road.

Grabbing his bike, Tracy rode up to the man and stood beside him to check if he was all right.

"Uh, hey sir? Are you ok? Do you need help?" asked Tracy, concerned.

The man stirred for a moment before opening his eyes.

"I absolutely forbid you from going through here! This is private property!" screamed the old man, scaring Tracy into backing away from him.

"What do you mean, sir? This is a road that you're laying on. Have you been drinking today?" asked Tracy with a look of concern. 'This man must either be drunk or nuts', he thought.

The man turned his head to observe his surroundings, and pulled himself up with Tracy's help.

"Sorry boy, I haven't had my coffee today and I feel tired! Sure, you can go through! I'm sorry I was so rude to you! Allow me to show you how to catch a Pokemon as my apology", said the old man.

Suddenly, an elderly woman from the nearby house ran over to them with an exasperated expression on her face.

"Oh dear! Honey! You know you shouldn't lay on the road," cried the woman. She held her husband's hand and turned to Tracy.

"I'm sorry he gave you trouble, young man. He doesn't drink, he just relies on coffee to get through the day or else he passes out on the road. No matter how hard our family tries, he keeps winding up in the middle of the road everyday of the week," said the woman.

"Oh it was no trouble at all", said Tracy with his hands raised, "That completely makes sense. It was nice to meet you both…"

"Now wait just a second!" yelled the man as he pulled himself out of his wife's grasp. "Before you go, let me show you how to catch a Pokemon. You are a trainer, correct?"

"Well yeah, I guess", said Tracy. This was getting him nowhere. 'I guess I'll humor him', he thought.

"Perfect! Let me show you how to catch a Pokemon with a Pokeball and then you can call us even", said the old man.

…

Minutes later, the old man and Tracy made their way to Route 2, close to a small field of tall grass.

Even though Tracy already knew how to catch a Pokemon, he respectfully let the old man demonstrate his skill.

"Now, the first thing you do is walk through tall grass like this," said the man as he stepped and pushed through the grass.

Sure enough, a purple-colored Rattata jumped out and began to attack.

"Then, you can either battle the wild Pokemon or throw a Pokeball like this", said the man as he took a Red and White Pokeball from his pocket and hurled it at the Pokemon.

With a thud, the ball made contact with the Pokemon and opened, causing a chain reaction which sent the agitated Rattata inside as some kind of transferred energy. The ball rolled and blinked red for a couple moments, leaving the man and Tracy holding their breaths.

With a beep, the Pokeball stopped moving and Rattata was caught.

The old man picked up the ball and did a little dance of triumph.

"Amazing," said Tracy with an earnest attempt at a lie, "I've never seen anything like it".

"Yeah, well the pleasure's all mine. Good luck on your Pokemon journey and avoid making eye contact with other trainers or stepping in tall grass without a potion," said the old man as he made his leave.

Tracy said his thanks and made his way through the route on his bike.

'Well at least the man had a good day', he thought to himself. 'I need to get to Pewter City by nightfall if I want to stay on schedule'.

"No more distractions," said Tracy out loud as he focused on the world ahead.

Making his way into the notorious Viridian Forest would be hazardous, and Tracy knew it.

As he went through the entrance building on his bike, suddenly he remembered something.

Oak's voice echoed in his head, "There's a time and place for everything!"

'He's right', thought Tracy.

Removing his bike and disassembling it in a matter of seconds, Tracy placed the bike into his backpack and pressed on, careful not to upset the Professor or the cosmos anymore.

Tracy left the building only to find himself in absolute blackness. Very little light escaped the canopies of the thick forest. Numerous Bug and Flying type Pokemon could be seen perched in the trees and crawling on the grass.

However, Tracy found himself with another distraction he didn't see coming.

Several trainers were battling one another nearby, and one particular Bugcatcher had already made eye contact with him.


	3. Hotheads

"Hey you! Let's battle! My Caterpie is level 5 and he's going to kick your Pokemon's butt," yelled the trainer as he ran over.

"I'm sorry kid, but I don't have time to battle", said Tracy.

"Well then you shouldn't have looked me in the eyes", said the Bugcatcher. Several of his buddies snickered as they came to join them at that moment.

Soon, Tracy found himself surrounded and unable to talk over the maniacal laughter of these Bug-catching young trainers.

The trainer he met first sent out his first Pokémon which, sure enough, was a Caterpie.

The Caterpie let out a weak battle cry as it did a String shot in the air in performance.

"Get him, Caterpie! Show him you mean business!" yelled the trainer as his friends cheered.

"All right, you left me no choice," said Tracy as he took out one of his own Pokeballs, "Go! Scyther!"

Sure enough, his old Scyther appeared out of the Pokeball and faced his fresh opponent as he cried out his own name in aggression.

"Scy-ther! Scyther!"

"Use your invincible String shot Attack, Caterpie!" yelled the Bugcatcher.

"Use Slash!" yelled Tracy.

Scyther moved first, making short work of the Caterpie and slicing it with his scythes.

The move proved effective, and Caterpie fainted.

"Oh shucks, that was my only Pokémon," said the trainer as he picked up his Caterpie.

"Well, that was a great battle. Thanks Scyther," said Tracy as his Pokémon returned to his Pokeball, "I'll just be going now…"

"Not so fast," cried a Lass trainer, "You still need to battle me next."

"And me," said another Bugcatcher. "No, I want to battle his Scyther!" yelled another kid.

The group began to bicker with one another and Tracy silently made his exit, sneaking to the nearest tree line.

"Hey! Get back here, we need to battle you!" yelled the mob as they ran after him.

'This day just keeps getting weirder', thought Tracy as he ran for his life.

…

Ten minutes had passed, and Tracy could see no sign of any trainers. Unfortunately for him, he also lost sight of the path.

It was getting darker under the trees as he stepped deeper into the forest.

"I know! I'll just fly out of here!" said Tracy, remembering that Oak had given him a special Charizard.

"Which one was it again?" asked Tracy as he took out the one of the Pokeballs Oak had given him for his journey.

With a flash, the Pokémon within the Pokeball was sent out, only this time it wasn't a Charizard.

"Chansey!" cried the pink Pokémon as it jumped for joy and danced.

"You're not Charizard!" cried Tracy as his only method of escape turned out to be a disappointment.

Returning Chansey to her Pokeball, Tracy threw out another of the three new Pokeballs.

"Dig-Diglett, Dig-Diglett!" squeaked the Mole Pokémon as it burrowed through the ground with its unseen body.

"You're not him either, although I could _dig_ myself out of this forest," muttered Tracy.

However, Oak's voice echoed in his head again, telling him that now is not the time to use Diglett's Dig move in the forest anyway. He quickly returned the Diglett to his Pokeball while fumbling for the last Pokeball Oak gave him.

"This one must be Charizard", said Tracy to himself as his search was over, "It has to be".

With a toss, Tracy unleashed Charizard from his Pokeball, watching the Fire/Flying type soar through the air with a fiery temper.

"Raaawwwwrrgh!" roared Charizard as he soared through the air, spitting flames in a show of strength.

The Pokémon soon calmed down and landed at a nearby watering hole to drink.

Tracy caught up to him, amazed at how grand this Pokémon was up close.

"Wow, Charizard", said Tracy, "You look so elegant, yet terrifying when you fly like that. I just gotta get a sketch of you right now before we get out of here."

With this, the Charizard roared again, as if understanding what his temporary master just said. With this, Charizard struck a pose as he tried his best to look menacing. Wings spread, he raised his head high and shot flames towards the sky in an effort to enhance his masculinity.

For the next few minutes, Tracy took out his sketch pad and did a rough sketch of Charizard, being careful not to make any sudden moves. Although this Charizard was supposed to be tame compared to Ash's, Tracy felt it was wise to not assume anything when dealing with such a beast.

Finished, Tracy admired his work. The penciled sketch of Charizard surprisingly did the Pokémon justice, thought Tracy.

"Okay, thanks Charizard for your patience. Do you think we can fly out of here?" asked Tracy, despite Oak's voice in his head telling him that now's not the time for that.

At this point, Charizard looked at Tracy under a different light, from the eyes of an indifferent beast to that of a critic. He made a muffled huff as if he was asking a question already knowing the answer.

"What is it? Are you asking me if I have something?" asked Tracy, "like what?"

Charizard raised his head in agreement and roared.

"If it's food you want, I can get you some later," said Tracy as he went through his bag.

Charizard shook his head and crossed his little arms, spitting flames at Tracy's feet with frustration. Tracy jumped back with a yelp.

"Hey! What was that for?! I thought Oak said you were tame enough for me. It looks like you have a bad temper, just like that Charizard Ash has." Tracy took out his Pokeball and prepared to return Charizard.

With this, Charizard puffed up and stubbornly walked away towards the thick forest.

"Hey! Where are you going? Come back and return to your Pokeball, Charizard!" cried Tracy as he grabbed his things and took off after Charizard. For a Pokémon with stubby legs, Charizard somehow ran out of sight.

Tracy, now tired after running for ten minutes, stopped to catch his breath as he took in his surroundings.

Surrounded by the lush forest, Tracy was more lost than before, with Bug Pokémon everywhere but no people in sight.

Several Weedle were crawling on the branches in the trees while Beedril and Butterfree flew past Tracy's line of sight. At a nearby boulder, two Metapod were facing each other in an eternal duel of harden. A lone Caterpie dropped from the tree above Tracy and nearly landed on top of him before he got out of the way.

"Oh no, now what will the Professor think now that I lost his Charizard?!" muttered Tracy as he struggled to gather the strength to go on. Should he get more lost to look for Charizard, or leave him and continue his journey? This was the beginning of the end for Tracy's short journey, or was it the end of the beginning? Only time will tell as Charizard finds himself an opponent…

For Charizard, nothing was more humiliating that working for novice trainers like the one he was leaving. The Professor had raised him since he was a Charmander that none of the trainers had wanted. In his young age, Charmander was ignored as trainers eagerly picked Bulbasaur or Squirtle in anticipation for their first Gym battle.

He didn't understand why, but trainers had already decided he was weak without a second thought before he had a chance to prove himself. Oak, on the other hand, took him in as a special Pokémon to help with his errands. Oak, who had picked a Charmander during his childhood days as a trainer, had an attachment to the Fire Starter that helped in gaining friendship.

Over the years, Charmander grew to a Charmeleon, and then evolved into the Charizard he is today. He had helped many lab assistants in his time get from one place to another under his protection, but never a true trainer. He merely tolerated the lack of battle experience in his former masters, as they were not trainers.

However, on this day he had recognized Tracy as a trainer and could tell that he was not the expert that would gain his trust and respect. In fact, during the first few minutes he first met Tracy, all his 'master' did was ask for his permission to draw him. Sure, Charizard wasn't sure what Tracy was doing at that time, but for a trainer to ask permission to just _look_ at him demonstrated a lack of assertiveness.

It was clear to this Pokémon that his trainer had no backbone. In a huff, Charizard refused to return to his Pokeball and left before Tracy could make him.

Finding himself in a clearing, the Charizard crawled into a ball and took a nap beside a tree.

Half an hour had passed and the sky overhead turned a bright orange as the late afternoon set.

A wild Spearow had appeared, roosting on the branch above Charizard's sleeping body. The Spearow let out an ugly cry, signaling a cacophony of deafening cries from all of the accompanying Spearow in the area.

An angrily awoken Charizard got up, growling at the Spearow above to stop.

The Spearow noticed him and let out another deafening cry as if to taunt his frustration. Charizard let out a fearsome roar for them to stop, but the many Spearow soon cried louder in an effort to prove their superiority to the Pokémon out-of-place in this forest.

This angered Charizard to no end, who at this point was roaring like there was no tomorrow. He sucked in a great deal of air before using his Flamethrower attack towards the sky with an ungodly roar of power. The ground around him shook, causing the trees for a hundred feet around him to wave as hundreds of Spearow left their roosts and swarmed around him, ready to attack.

…

"I need to get out of this forest."

Those were the words every trainer utters when passing through Viridian forest. However, the trainer saying those words for the moment was no ordinary trainer.

With her Pokenav on the fritz, Naomi could not use her digital map to get out of this strange forest. The 14-year old trainer had been walking for hours in an effort to find a rare Pokémon to add to her team. So far, she had come across many Caterpie and Weedle as well as over a dozen Kakuna.

The girl wore a pair of combat boots and a pair of worn out jeans stained with mud from her long trek through the woods. She had a sleeveless red t-shirt with a black heart symbol at the center. However, this was no ordinary heart as it sported an eye to the side with a smiling mouth towards the heart's point. To Naomi, this was a black Luvdisc, but to most trainers in the Kanto region, this was just a heart.

The difference in Pokémon knowledge sometimes annoyed Naomi whenever trainers would gather around her Hoenn Pokémon to get their Pokedexes updated. Despite this, Naomi chose to explore the Kanto region less than a week ago in order to see new Pokémon and get stronger. Plus, it was exciting to see 'new' Pokémon in their natural habitats.

"Things aren't looking good for us, right Poochie?" asked Naomi.

Behind her, a black canine-like Pokémon barked in agreement. Naomi looked at her two Pokeballs at her belt. Her two Pokémon had been poisoned after a few run-ins with wild Bug Pokémon. Her only usable Pokémon was her young Poochyena, and if they didn't find a Pokecenter soon, things would only get worse.

Earlier, she sprayed a repel around her to prevent any more wild encounters with Pokémon. Without an antidote, however, her withdrawn Pokémon will faint. Naomi sighed. 'No matter how strong I am, Bug Pokémon will always find a way to take out my Pokémon', thought Naomi.

A Pidgeotto was cleaning its feathers while perched on a nearby branch at Naomi's eye level.

"Oh cool, a Pidgeotto", said Naomi to herself, "see Poochie? They are like the Swellow of the Kanto region. Let's catch one and show it to Ruth when I get back."

Suddenly, a pillar of fire erupted three hundred yards away, sending the surrounding wild Pokémon in a frenzy. The Pidgeotto flew away just as Naomi had taken out a Pokeball from her bag.

"What was that?" asked Naomi as her Poochyena growled towards the commotion.

As Naomi spoke, Flying Pokémon from all over the forest were either fleeing in terror or heading towards the smoke.

"I bet there's a Fire Pokémon over there causing all this," said Naomi, "and if there's a Fire Pokémon in Viridian Forest, then that means a Pokémon trainer owns it. We should check it out".

With this in mind, Naomi returned her Poochyena to his Pokeball and ran towards the battle in sight.

…

Tracy had been walking alone for several minutes when he noticed the fire in the distance. He ran as fast as he could, careful not to trip over any low-lying branches and roots. Several wild Pokémon scurried past him as he made his way to the sight of trouble.

"I sure hope it's not Charizard causing all this ruckus," said Tracy to himself, "but then again, I do hope it is Charizard. The Professor would kill me if I lost one of his Pokémon!"

Making his way to a clearing, Tracy took in his surroundings. Amidst the clearing were a trio of shrubs and a small tree where Charizard had made his stand against a flock of Spearow. All over the ground lay dozens of fainted Spearow as the bird Pokémon made their attack against the Fire Pokémon.

Meanwhile, to Tracy's surprise, a young female trainer was at the center of the battle, trying her best to soothe Charizard's fiery heart while at the same time keeping the Spearow at bay.

The Spearow were held back as the girl sprayed a field of Pokémon Repel at them. As the can emptied itself of its contents, the girl replaced the Repel with a new one as she held her hand towards the Charizard in an effort to calm the beast.

"Wait! Don't touch him, he might hurt you!" yelled Tracy as he ran over to them.

As Tracy could see, Charizard looked hurt and his face was lacerated with several cuts from the beaks and claws of the Spearow. He roared at them before the trainer's hand touched his face.

"It's okay, you're safe now", said Naomi as she petted Charizard's lowered head. As soon as she made contact, Charizard was put at ease and collapsed onto the ground below the small tree.

"I don't believe it, you actually did it," remarked a surprised Tracy who by this point made it to the two, "How did you put him to sleep?"

The girl, previously unaware of his presence, quickly turned around in a mild panic.

"Eek! You almost scared me," cried the trainer as she jumped.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. I saw what happened and I thought I could help," said Tracy as he scratched his head.

"I got here to help too. Most of my Pokémon are poisoned. Could you lend me a hand with these wild Spearow? It looks like this Charizard picked a fight with them and now they're angry! I'm almost out of Repel," said the girl trainer.

As if hearing this, the Spearow gathered in numbers overhead as they prepared to strike.

"Right," said Tracy in agreement. With this, he took out his sole battling Pokémon from his belt and threw its Pokeball into the air. "Go Scyther!"

The sphere erupted in flashing light as the veteran Pokémon landed on the ground and crossed his scythe hands together in defense.

"Scy-ther!" cried the old Scyther as the Spearow attempted to hit the two trainers. Blocking their attacks, the Scyther held the flock at bay as they attacked as one organism. The Spearow screeched and crowed as they piled up headfirst at Scyther's block.

"Great job Scyther! Now use Swords Dance!" yelled Tracy.

With this, Scyther kept his arms crossed as he spun rapidly. This act caused the Mantis Pokémon to become a miniature tornado, sending the incoming Spearow into a disarraying whirlwind.

The Flying Pokémon were out of control as they were sent careening in multiple directions. This alone broke up the Spearow formation and ending the battle.

Scyther made a battlecry as the wild Pokémon all fled. However, Scyther was now exhausted and fell to one knee as he took a long breath.

"Are you okay Scyther? You're not hurt are you?!" asked Tracy, concerned for him as he took out a potion to heal him. Scyther shrugged and shook it off as he waved for Tracy to put his potion away.

"You sure you don't need it buddy?" asked Tracy as Scyther nodded. "Thanks for everything, now get yourself a nice rest", said Tracy as he sent Scyther back into his Pokeball.

"Great job on the Swords Dance move, kid. I never would have thought to use it as an offensive move", said the girl as she tended to the fallen Charizard.

"Thanks, but it's no big deal. I picked it up in my last journey. Thanks for finding and saving Charizard for me, I don't know what I'd do without him", said Tracy as he raised his hand towards her to shake hands.

"So this is your Charizard that you abandoned out here in the forest?!" asked the girl as she grew visibly infuriated.

"Well yes and no, you see-" was all Tracy could nervously say before getting slapped on the side of his face by the trainer, sending him spinning.

"You idiot!" yelled the girl as her face reddened, "how could you leave such a majestic creature to starve out here in the wilderness? Not to mention it's a Charizard! For all you know, he could have hurt someone or started a fire or something!"

"I'm sorry!" cried Tracy as he winced at the girl's next anticipated slap, "I didn't mean to leave him out here, he just got annoyed at me for some reason and left. I didn't know where he was until I saw the smoke. I'm really sorry, it won't happen again!" While Tracy said all of this he was bowing furiously with tears streaming down his face with both guilt and fear towards the scary trainer.

The trainer cooled down upon hearing this.

"Well if was an accident, then I can't stay mad at you", she said, "But still, a fully evolved Pokémon like this could have hurt someone if left unattended. It looks like he fell from exhaustion when he fought all of the Spearow. I know just the thing" said the girl as she went through her things and pulled out a Super Potion.

"Oh cool, a Super Potion! You really came prepared when you got here to Viridian Forest" said Tracy in appreciation of her service to his Charizard.

"Well, not quite", said the girl as she sprayed Charizard's torso and face with the healing potion, "I didn't have any Antidote and two of my Pokémon have been poisoned. I don't suppose you happen to have some?"

"Unfortunately, no I don't" said Tracy as he observed her attempt to heal his Pokémon.

"It's no use", said the girl, "It looks like Charizard may have fainted during the battle. No Super Potion can help him now. We need to get him to a Pokecenter as soon as possible. Besides, my Pokémon need help too. Do you know of a way out of this forest?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing", replied Tracy, embarrassed at their ordeal.

"Well, we should head North and hope for the best then", responded the girl as they both picked up their things and as Tracy returned the fainted Charizard to his Pokeball.

"I agree. By the way, I never had the chance to tell you my name. My name is Tracy Sketchit. I'm a Pokémon Trainer from the Orange Islands."

"The Orange Islands? I think my friend has mentioned them once or twice. My name is Naomi, and I am a Pokémon Trainer from-" said Naomi before being rudely interrupted by a trio of oncoming challengers.

"Hey you! Let's battle!" yelled one of the trainers as he made his way over to them.

To Tracy's surprise, it was the same trainer that challenged him before.

'Great. this should be good', thought Tracy.


	4. Naomi's Battle Style: Victory or Defeat!

"Hey! It's you again!" screamed a youngster as he, a lass, and a bugcatcher all ran up to them from the forest ahead.

"Oh great, it's you guys again", muttered Tracy in exasperation, "Look guys, I know I left you guys without a battle but seriously? I don't have time to battle you! I have to go to the nearest Pokecenter".

"Well that's too bad," said the lass with a smirk on her face. "Yeah, you can't just run away after somebody challenges you", said the bugcatcher as he waved his net side to side in a show of force.

"Wait a minute. _You _ran from a bunch of these kids when they challenged you?" asked Naomi as she struggled not to laugh.

"Well, you see," said Tracy as all eyes were on him, "it's been kind of an off day for me and I was in a hurry to get to Pewter City so…"

Naomi giggled and turned to the three challengers. "I'll tell you what. If I beat all three of you guys in his place, can you show me the way to the nearest Pokecenter?"

The lass nodded. "Sure, Pewter City is just a quarter mile that way past the treeline" said the lass as she motioned towards their left.

"You dummy, now she won't battle us now that you told her!" cried the bugcatcher and youngster.

"Don't worry, I keep my promises and I love battling. Plus, I need to knock off some steam anyways", said Naomi as she sighed.

The four of them took out their Pokeballs and prepared to battle when they looked at each other and got confused.

"So, uh, how are we going to do this? You first, then her?' asked the youngster as the trio wondered who would battle Naomi first.

"I can take all of you kiddies on! Fight me all at once!" yelled Naomi with pride.

"Fine, let's battle!" cried the lass. "It's go time!" yelled the bugcatcher. "I like shorts!" boasted the youngster. The other three trainers groaned as he said this.

"What? They're comfy and easy to wear!" added the youngster.

"I know you do, and that's great and all", said the lass, "but you really need to have a better battle introduction than that."

"Whatever, go Bulbasaur!" yelled the youngster as he sent out his Grass Starter Pokémon.

The lass and bugcatcher also sent out a female Nidoran and a Beedrill respectively.

"Uh-oh, three Pokémon at once! What are you going to do?" asked Tracy with both nervousness and excitement for the battle's outcome.

"Exactly", yelled the youngster in response to Tracy's question, "You made a lot of trainers in this forest upset and we all went looking for you everywhere. We three all saw the Spearow flock and came this way knowing we would probably find a good battle, but you? It's destiny that I would have the chance to battle you here. So will you battle us or not?"

"Watch and learn, kid", said Naomi as she threw out her Pokeball.

"Go, Poochie!" yelled Naomi as she sent out her Poochyena.

The Dark Pokémon barked and scratched his ears with his hind legs as he reared for battle.

"What in the world is that thing?!" yelled all of the three trainers at once.

"WOW! I've never seen a Pokémon like that before. I just gotta get some info," said Tracy as he took out the Professor's prototype Pokedex, "I'm sure he'd be okay with me using this".

With a beep, the Pokedex spoke with an electronic voice that was clearly in its early developmental stages.

"Please wait while the National Dex loads…Poochyena, the Bite Pokémon. Poochyena is the pre-evolved form of Mightyena. Its biting strength is superior to other Pokémon, and has the endurance to chase opponents down until completely exhausted", spoke the Prototype Pokedex with its artificial voice.

"What's a Mightyena?" asked Tracy with curiosity.

The three trainers as well as Tracy were astonished by this never before seen Pokémon. Their Pokémon, however, were less impressed. The Bulbasaur made a grunt in an effort to intimidate his new foe.

Poochyena, on the other hand, barked so loud it sent shivers down his three foes' spines.

"Ha! My Poochie's so powerful, he's unafraid of your Pokémon!" boasted Naomi as she made her first move.

"Poochie! Use Tackle on Nidoran", yelled Naomi.

The Poochyena barked in response and ran towards the Lass's Female Nidoran.

All three trainers yelled their attacks to their Pokémon, making it hard for Tracy to comprehend both sides of the battle. All he knew was that Naomi's Pokémon was outnumbered and surrounded. He stopped listening to the Trainer's voices as he quickly sketched the battle with his handy sketchbook at hand.

Poochie tackled Nidoran while taking a Poison Sting in the process. The attack KO'D the Nidoran but her Poison Sting may have poisoned Poochie, a fact that worried Naomi.

Poochie, however, was at the moment unaffected by the hit, allowing him to focus on the remaining opponents. The Bulbasaur and Beedrill projected Razor Leaf and Twineedle attacks at the same time from both sides of the Bite Pokémon, leaving Poochyena with nowhere to go but up.

To Tracy's surprise, Poochyena did just that as he dodged the attacks with ease, leaping into the air as both attacks collided with an explosion.

Amidst the chaos, Poochyena used the smoke to his advantage and silently hid within the dust cloud as Beedrill buzzed closer in search of prey.

As soon as Beedrill entered the cloud, Poochyena could be seen pouncing on the Bug Pokémon from below as he closed his jaws onto one of Beedrill's wings and pulling it to the ground.

Bulbasaur fired another volley of Razor Leaves towards the fading dust cloud, but all he managed to hit was the Beedrill as Poochyena hid behind it as a shield. At this point, Poochyena's Bite attack had nearly fainted Beedrill but thanks to the Razor Leaf, the Bug Pokémon was down for the count.

This left Bulbasaur as the final opponent as the Lass and Bug catcher withdrew their fainted Pokémon.

"Now Bulbasaur, charge for a Solarbeam!" yelled the youngster.

"Use Sand Attack on him for as long as you can, then finish it!" cried Naomi.

A great deal of energy was being stored in Bulbasaur's bulb while Poochyena used his forepaws to dig a hole. Poochie managed to hurl the dirt from under him and hit Bulbasaur in the eyes, decreasing the Grass Pokémon's accuracy.

After a moment had passed, Bulbasaur was ready to fire his Solarbeam. Without his sight, however, Bulbasaur could not see his foe and so fired straight in front of him, missing Poochyena by an inch.

With Bulbasaur blinded by the sand, Poochyena rushed to his side and used Bite. The attack was effective enough as Bulbasaur also fainted, leaving Poochyena the winner.

Tracy was astounded at how quickly Naomi had defeated three trainers at once. As he looked at his watch, he couldn't believe how quickly the battle had taken its course; only two minutes had passed since the battle began.

Naomi pat Poochyena on the head and praised him for a great battle before returning him to his Pokeball.

The three trainers sulked in defeat before the youngster spoke for the three of them.

"That was an embarrassing defeat for us, wasn't it? You have an amazing Pokémon, whatever it is. Where did you get it?" asked the youngster.

Naomi, trying not to look too confident, sighed as if she often gets asked this question before answering,

"Well, before I left the Hoenn region, I picked this guy up near Petalburg City. It's kind of a long story, but Poochie is basically one of my newest Pokémon on my team, so he has a lot of room to grow before he evolves."

"That's amazing!" exclaimed the three trainers.

"I've only heard stories of the Hoenn region", said the Bug catcher.

"Is it true that it never gets dark there and the days are long?" asked the Lass.

"Do you guys have Gym Leaders there too? And are they stronger or easier than the ones here?" asked the Youngster.

"Well we do have a bit of weather there", said Naomi, "and I did beat all of the gym leaders in Hoenn, so maybe—"

"I think it's time for us to get out of this forest, Naomi", interjected Tracy, "Our Pokémon need to be healed. Do you three know the way to Pewter City?"

"Actually we do", answered the Lass with a giggle, "just head that way and you'll get there in about half an hour." As she said this, she pointed to her right towards the forest's horizon.

"Thanks for the help, and thanks for the battle", said Naomi as she made her goodbyes to the young trainers.

The three trainers swallowed their pride, smiling and waving goodbye to Tracy and Naomi as they made their exit.

Tracy struggled to keep up with the fast-walking Naomi as they made their trek through the Viridian forest.

Naomi was silent, but aware of his presence. She just didn't want to walk with him.

Tracy on the other hand, broke the awkward silence as best as he could.

"That was some battle", stated Tracy, "you didn't even break a sweat".

"Thanks", said Naomi, "I've had a lot of practice and it didn't hurt that I was fighting three opponents at once. I mean, it saved time."

"True, but it also meant you were more vulnerable to attack. Where did you learn to fight like that? You Poochyena already knew how to act before you gave him commands. I don't know much about Hoenn Pokemon, but it seems like he has a lot of experience already", said Tracy.

"Well I actually went on a journey years ago in the Hoenn region, so I have lots of experience with battling, especially with multiple opponents. I've known Poochie for over six months now, so we have sort of a bond with each other. Poochyena are normally an aggressive Pokemon, so I trained him to focus that energy for physical moves and we train daily. It helps him listen to me", answered Naomi.

Tired of being interrogated, Naomi turned the questions to him. "So Tracy, what do you do? You don't really seem like the kind of person to seek battles. Are you on some kind of journey?"

Tracy thought for a moment before deciding to tell her the truth, at least partially in regards to his errand.

"I don't really consider myself a trainer although I do have a good battling Pokemon: my Scyther. I'm kind of a Pokemon sketch-artist. Here, I sketched your last battle. Wanna see?" asked Tracy before handing her his rough sketch.

Naomi gladly took the sketch and noticed a great deal of effort was done in detailing the raw emotion of her Pokemon during the battle.

A black and grey Poochie was drawn with angry eyes and an open jaw full of sharp teeth. On an exaggerated hill not unlike a pedestal stood her three Pokemon foes with simultaneous attacks directed towards Poochie.

"This is amazing!" exclaimed Naomi. "I've never met anyone who could draw Pokemon like this. You have a lot of talent Tracy. Are you a professional?"

"Well, not really. Maybe someday though. My real passion is working with the Pokemon Professor. I recently got a job working for Professor Oak at his lab. Pretty cool, right?" asked Tracy.

Frankly, he was surprised he was telling all this to this girl he had just met. Oak had advised him to play the part of a trainer on a journey through Kanto, and yet here he was confessing his real job as an assistant to the greatest Pokemon Professor ever.

"No offense Tracy, but that's kind of lame" remarked Naomi.

Tracy fell to the ground in embarrassment from her lack of admiration before he stood back up in astonishment.

"Really? I'm an assistant to the great Professor Oak, the most awarded Professor in the world. You can't say that's lame!" cried Tracy.

Naomi frowned at Tracy's offense to her remark. "Well, I for one am a fan of Professor Birch since he actually goes off on the field with his studies but that isn't my point. My point is, you seem to have a passion for Pokemon. Why stay cooped up in a lab all day long when you can live out here?"

Tracy tried to speak, but he couldn't muster the words to defend himself. This girl shook him up deeply with her words, making him rethink his life and what he had been doing so far until he met her.

With this, he changed the subject as they made it to Pewter City limits. "We're here! Let's find the nearest Pokecenter to heal our Pokemon as soon as possible", said Tracy.

"Right", murmured Naomi as they headed over to the Pokemon Center. Evidently, she had struck a nerve with her new acquaintance and she didn't want to lose such a friendship on their first day.

As they entered the Center's sliding doors, Nurse Joy welcomed them.

A few minutes passed, but eventually both Naomi's and Tracy's Pokemon were fully healed.

"I guess this is goodbye", said Naomi without a sign of sadness, "if you have a PokeNav, we could exchange numbers".

"Sorry, but I don't have one of those", said Tracy, "but maybe I'll see you again Naomi. After all, the Kanto region isn't that large and we both still have our own journeys to fulfill. It was nice meeting someone from the Hoenn region."

"And it was nice meeting someone who didn't like battling everyone in sight. I'm sorry I called your job lame. You should follow your dream no matter what it is", said Naomi, finally showing respect to her new friend.

"Thanks, I appreciate your honesty though. We both have a lot to learn. I hope you have an exciting journey in the Kanto region. Best of luck," said Tracy.

With this, they shook hands and parted ways. Naomi exited the PokeCenter while Tracy went to the Phone station to call the Professor.

"Hello? Ah, Tracy, how are things? I trust the Pokedex is safe?" asked Oak as his image wavered on the screen.

"Everything's doing great, Professor", answered Tracy. "I made it to Pewter City and I got to see the Pokemon you gave me. Your Charizard is kind of hotheaded".

"Ha! Hotheaded!" laughed Oak. "Why a fiery Pokemon like Charizard could be expected as much. I hope you're having fun and meeting new people on this journey, no?"

"Well, as a matter of fact, I met someone", answered Tracy. "A girl from the Hoenn region…"

"A girl? That's my boy! Is she cute?" asked Oak while chuckling.

"No, Professor! It's nothing like that! We're sort of friends now but she seemed kind of hotheaded too", said Tracy, "besides, she left and I have to complete this mission."

Oak paused for a moment to take in what Tracy had just said before giving him a stern expression.

"Hmmm, it seems to me that you are taking this errand too seriously Tracy" remarked the Professor.

"How could I not? The Johto region is far away and the you-know-what is a big deal to the Pokemon world. What do you want me to do? Battle gyms and get badges. I even told her that I was your assistant".

"Be that as it may, you shouldn't ignore the spirit of adventure Tracy", answered Oak, "I'm not mad that you broke your cover. You are an honest person. That is why I trust you with carrying such important technology. However, I have a detailed record of everything the Prototype has accessed so far. I know you have used the Prototype to upload Poochyena's data to the Pokedex. You know what? Keep up the good work!"

"Excuse me, Professor?" asked Tracy with confusion. He thought for a moment he'd be in trouble for touching the Prototype without permission.

"You heard me. I rarely go to the Hoenn region and it's been awhile since I have read data on Pokemon native to the Hoenn region. That Prototype could use more testing and since your journey is long, feel free to test it out on any new Pokemon you come across. Even better, tell that girl about it if it helps you get more data from her Pokemon. She seems interesting. A girl with attitude would also be good for you on your journey, Tracy. While this errand is important, don't forget to make memories along the way. This is an adventure you are on, after all" said Oak with a chuckle.

"Thank you, Professor", said Tracy, "I'll see if she can join me on my journey. Who knows, maybe she will be up to it."

"That's it! Get a group started. If you trust this girl, then I will too. Just don't tell anyone else and keep the Prototype to yourself. I'm counting on you, Tracy. Goodbye!" said Oak before ending the call.

Tracy looked at the clock, noting that it was already getting dark outside. 'He's right', thought Tracy.

Tracy realized that he shouldn't deny the enjoyment he had watching Naomi battle and spending time with her. He should go out and find her before she leaves town and ask her to join him on his quest.

With this in mind, Tracy ran outside and began his search through town.

"Go! Marill!" shouted Tracy before sending Marill out of his Pokeball and onto his shoulder. "Let's look together Marill. You can keep me company while we walk around town".

"Marill!" cried Marill cheerfully as they made their way through the town square.

Around buildings, trees, ledges, no sign of her. They looked for nearly ten minutes until he thought of the kind of person Naomi would be in a city that housed a gym leader.

He made his way to the Pewter City gym as a last resort, thinking someone in Brock's family may have seen her when, to his shock, a battle was already taking place inside.

"You may be from another region, but this is _my_ house!", shouted Flint, the substitute gym leader and father of Brock, one of Tracy's friends who was currently on a Johto journey with Ash.

"Game on! Go Gardevoir!" shouted Naomi as she threw out what looked like a Premier Ball towards the ceiling of the gym.

With a flash of light, the Psychic Pokemon Gardevoir took the stage as she faced Flint's Pokemon, a Golem.


	5. Naomi vs Flint: Tracy's invitation!

(When we last saw our hero, Tracy had received the go ahead from Oak to invite Naomi on his errand and later found her at the Pewter City Gym with Brock's father, Flint.)

A few hours earlier: Oak's Lab

After sending Tracy out into the world, Oak decided to give Delia Ketchum a call and invite her to the lab for some tea.

With a knock at the door, Delia Ketchum let herself in and entered the cluttered laboratory where Oak was preparing some refreshments.

"Ah! Delia! Thank you for coming on such short notice," said Oak with a smile as they both sat in the dining room as Delia made herself at home.

"It's nice to see you again Professor! Thank you for inviting me over," said Delia before receiving a cup of tea from Oak.

"Please, you know you can call me Samuel" said Professor Oak.

"I know, usually I do but when I'm in your lab it just seems more appropriate" said Delia before changing the subject, "I saw Tracy a while ago."

"Really now? Did he say anything about running an errand or needing money for the bus?" asked Oak.

"As a matter of fact, we did talk about your big errand for awhile and I told him to enjoy himself and make many friends along the way", replied Delia as she closed her eyes and smiled. She explained how her advice to Tracy would probably go against Oak's directions, but she felt that Tracy would have a better time with a companion.

"Really now? And you say he should bring friends along? I actually agree with you", stated Oak as their conversation continued.

"You mean it?!" asked Delia as she got excited, "you mean he won't be travelling alone?"

"Of course not? I lent him some of Gary's unused Pokémon he caught on his Kanto journey plus my Charizard. However, you and I both fear for Tracy's safety in this crucial errand. Shortly after Tracy messaged me from Viridian City earlier, Officer Jenny of Celadon City messaged me as well, informing me of a recent spike in Team Rocket sightings in the region" declared Oak.

"So you're saying Tracy needs travel companions for his own safety and not just for the fun?" asked Delia. She sighed, previously thinking she had convinced Oak and not Jenny.

"Precisely. That boy is not fit to battle the likes of Team Rocket on his own if they find out about the Prototype. I believe one or two companions with strong beliefs and powerful Pokémon can better protect Tracy and the Prototype", responded Oak, "At least it'll help me sleep better at night if he has a team".

…

Later that evening, Tracy would eventually confess to Oak in their next call about meeting a girl from the Hoenn region as hot-headed as Charizard. This intrigued Oak's curiosity.

'A trainer from the Hoenn region with powerful Pokémon? There's no way she's Team Rocket if she's from there! Plus, her Pokémon can test the Prototype to see if we got the data right for Hoenn species Pokémon', thought Oak excitedly as Tracy told him on the phone about his journey so far.

To not worry the boy, Oak lied about his motive in the matter and repeated Delia's wish for Tracy to have fun and make friends.

"Thank you, Professor", said Tracy, "I'll see if she can join me on my journey. Who knows, maybe she will be up to it."

"That's it! Get a group started. If you trust this girl, then I will too. Just don't tell anyone else and keep the Prototype to yourself. I'm counting on you, Tracy. Goodbye!" said Oak before ending the call.

"I'm counting on you, mystery girl," muttered Oak to himself as he hung up the phone and prepared for his date.

…

When we last saw Tracy, he was combing the streets of Pewter City in search of his new friend, Naomi, wishing to invite her on his journey to the Johto region.

He and Marill managed to find her in the battle with the gym leader, Flint (Brock's dad who was filling in for Brock while he and Tracy's friends Ash and Misty explored the Johto region).

"Wow! I can't believe you are already battling the Gym leader when you just got into town", said Tracy as he observed the battle, Naomi standing several yards away.

"Tracy?" asked Naomi as she turned in surprise, "I didn't expect to see you again so soon. Yeah, I'm kind of battling this guy. I thought Brock would be here, but Flint says his son is on a journey or something. Imagine that, huh?"

"Yeah, imagine that", said Tracy, "listen; there's something I need to ask you when this battle is over".

"Consider it over," said Naomi as her Gardevoir dodged an attack by Golem, "My Gardevoir can fight without me saying anything. What's up?"

As Naomi spoke, the Pokémon identified as Gardevoir hovered in the air by some unknown power as Golem caused an earthquake.

Gardevoir managed to use Psychic to send chunks of boulders into the air towards Flint's Golem.

With a Roll-out, Golem smashed through the rocks and nearly hit Gardevoir in the chest. However, Gardevoir's psychic power merely stopped the rolling Golem in his tracks.

As Golem flailed his stubby limbs uselessly in the air, Naomi's attention was on Tracy as he spoke his mind.

"Basically, I'm going on an errand to the Johto region and was wondering if you could come with me", said Tracy, "The errand should take about two weeks before I head back to Pallet Town and we can make plenty of stops if you want. So what do you say?"

"I just met you in one day and you're asking me to just go with you?" asked Naomi.

"I know and this is crazy, but please give it a thought", replied Tracy.

Naomi thought about it as Golem was sent spiraling into the gym's wall by Gardevoir's psychic attacks.

"You know, I'm battling the first gym in Kanto right now. What makes you think I'd want to go if I have seven gyms to go?" asked Naomi.

Tracy was stunned. "You mean you are entering the Indigo League? I'm sorry, I didn't even think about that."

"Maybe I am," teased Naomi, "Maybe I'm not. Why do you want me to join you anyway? Is it because I'm a girl?"

Tracy blushed. She was cute, but in a Misty kind of way.

"Well, no. You saved me back there in Viridian Forest and you knew a lot about my Charizard. You're pretty fun to be around and I can't imagine travelling with anyone except you", answered Tracy as he tried not to sound desperate.

"Let me think about it for a minute", said Naomi as she nodded to Gardevoir.

Gardevoir then proceeded to smack Golem senseless with a series of psychic attacks, fainting him and ending the match.

"Gardywar is da winner! Yay! I mean No!" cried the referee, who was none other than one of Flint's youngest daughters. Flint then returned his Pokémon to his Pokeball and approached Naomi as she hugged Gardevoir.

"I'd say congratulations if that were a good match, but you defeated me like it was nothing. Still, you've earned this badge, so I am obligated to present this Boulder Badge to you", whimpered Flint as he handed the Boulder Badge to Naomi.

"No thanks, sir. I'm not interested in any badges", replied Naomi as she gave the badge back to Flint, an act which stunned everyone in the room.

"Why not? You mean you fought him for nothing?" asked a puzzled Tracy.

"Not for nothing. I'm just battling for the thrill of it, nothing more. I could care less about gym badges", answered Naomi as Flint scratched his beard in response.

"I see, well then in that case good luck on your journey and may you have stronger opponents in the future", said Flint as he waved them goodbye.

Naomi, Gardevoir, and Tracy left the gym and back to the Pokecenter to heal her Pokémon as Tracy struggled to comprehend what just happened.

"I don't get it. You arrived here from Hoenn to battle gym leaders and get stronger? Flint was a pushover for your Gardevoir, or whatever that is. Why not battle Hoenn's gym leaders and save you the trouble?" asked Tracy as Naomi received her Pokémon back from Nurse Joy.

"I did, and I was incredible. At least, that 's what Wallace told me anyway", snapped Naomi as she glared back at Tracy. Tracy gulped. He didn't mean to offend her.

"Who's Wallace?" asked Tracy as he tried to ease her temper.

"You don't know Wallace? He is the Champion in the Hoenn region, but he used to be a gym leader when I battled him. He praised my 'fighting spirit'", answered Naomi as she seemed distracted by a flashback.

Tracy was seemingly awestruck by this girl's story. It seemed like Naomi was too focused on her own journey to take up Tracy's offer, so he said nothing else and left the room. Tracy said nothing else that night as they both slept in the Pokecenter overnight before departing the very next morning.

The two trainers packed their things and made their goodbyes to Nurse Joy before leaving the center and made their way to the next route to Cerulean City.

Gardevoir remained outside of her Pokeball as she followed Naomi and Tracy from behind.

"I can't believe you are heading to the same city I am! Does that mean you agree to join me?" asked Tracy.

"I never said that I would join you, but the Johto region does sound nice this time of year", answered Naomi, "what kind of errand are you running?"

"Oh, nothing important", lied Tracy as he scratched his head and whistled.

"Does it have something to do with that weird Pokedex you used earlier?" asked Naomi.

"What?! No! My Pokedex isn't weird! You're weird!" answered Tracy, losing his composure as he tried to keep the Prototype a secret from her.

"Gardevoir is telling me that it does have to do with it", replied Naomi, "and she's telling me that Professor Oak put you up to it".

"How does Gardevoir know that, is she a psychic—oh wait, nevermind. Of course she is", answered Tracy.

"Yup, she can read my mind and anyone nearby and tell me what's in their heart", bragged Naomi.

"Isn't that like spying on someone's mind?" asked Tracy

"Probably, but Gardevoir only does it to protect me from strangers. She's kind of protective of me, ever since I was a beginning trainer. You don't have to worry about it happening to you again. I can trust you now that the secret is out", answered Naomi.

"Well, how can I trust you when your Pokémon just read my mind without permission?" asked Tracy, now annoyed with Naomi's attitude towards secrets, "I still don't know what your deal is with battling gym leaders, either".

"Look, if it makes you feel any better, I'll tell you why I'm really here", sighed Naomi as she began to speak, "It all started when…"

A loud, deafening blast echoed a quarter of a mile up the route as the sound of thunder grew closer.

"What was that?!" cried Tracy as Gardevoir's body became shrouded in a green energy.

"Gardevoir! Return!" shouted Naomi as she pointed her Pokeball at her. The Pokémon returned before she had a chance to attack their intruder.

"Why did you do that? We might be in danger!" asked Tracy

"I already fought with Gardevoir today and she still needs to rest", replied Naomi, "plus I came here to train my Pokémon. I can't do that if I only use one Pokémon all the time".

The loud thunderous roar got louder as smoke rose up ahead.

Suddenly, the sound multiplied as if a stampede had taken place.

A bead of sweat dripped down Tracy's brow as the cause of the stampede grew closer. Naomi, however, smiled brightly as the challenge appeared.

As the thunderous roar fell upon the two trainers, a lone rider on a motorcycle sped over the hill and slowed to a stop. The driver was now facing Naomi and Tracy, laughing maniacally as he parked his ride in front of them.

The thunder didn't end with him, however, as dozens of motorcycles came over the hill and circled the two trainers like a Fearow after a Caterpie.

"HAA! Well, look what the Meowth dragged in, boys!" laughed the first rider, apparently the leader of the gang.

The other circling riders gave a battle cry as they all stopped moving and faced the two trainers and their leader in a huge circle of metal.

The leader, still on his parked bike, had a short grey beard and a grizzled expression on his face. His face was also half covered by a spiked helmet and Black Glasses, but the rest of it was worn by years of wind exposure. The man's teeth were also yellowed, a sight which repulsed Naomi. The entire gang wore matching leather jackets and identical black helmets and boots.

"What do you want? Who are you guys?!" asked Tracy.

"WHO ARE WE? Tell 'em, boys!" shouted the leader as the gang roared: "Gorubatto Riders!"

"That's right! We're the Gorubatto Riders and we mean business!" growled the leader, before excitedly introducing the gang's members to them, "I am the gang's leader, Kahuna Kakuna, and this is Gyarados Gary, Golem Knight, Onix Rocky, Stevie Cloyster, Lee Arbok, Black Raticate…"

"What do you guys want? My friend and I have places to be, and we want to get to Cerulean City by this afternoon!" interrupted Naomi, unaffected by the leader's intimidating stature.

"Well, you can pay us the toll and we'll be on our way…" spoke the leader.

"Okay, how much?" asked Tracy as he eagerly took out his wallet

"…Or you can battle us like the Trainers you are. We made eye contact, didn't we?" added the leader, "or are you too much of a Clefairy to fight?"

"Did you say battle!? I'm in!" answered Naomi, shocking everyone.

To Be Continued?*

*(Definitely!)


	6. Fight or Flight: The Gorubatto Riders!

When we last saw our heroes, they had been ambushed by a gang of bikers along the route to Cerulean City. The gang's leader, Kahuna Kakuna, gave the two a chance to pay a toll or battle them. As you might expect already, Naomi happily chose the latter...

"Wait! Naomi, these guys look scary; I think we should just pay them to leave", whispered Tracy in Naomi's ear.

"No! We have to show these losers how tough I am! I did not come here to lose; I came to win!" declared Naomi.

"Really? You'll battle us? That's great! No one's ever been brave enough to fight one of us before, so who will battle and who will you choose as your opponent?" asked the leader Kahuna Kakuna, abandoning his scary persona.

"I choose you, Kahuna, and I'll only battle you on one condition. If I win, you guys have to rename your gang into something I choose, and you guys have to give us a ride to Cerulean City", ordered Naomi.

"Oh really, is that so? First of all, that was two conditions. Secondly, why would I agree to something like that? I don't have to do anything for you; you two are the ones surrounded by my gang so we give the orders around here!" barked Kahuna Kakuna.

"Are you scared that a little girl like me will beat you?" asked Naomi, causing the rest of the gang to snicker and Kahuna's face to turn red.

"Oooohhh! You just got burned like a Magmar on a Metapod!" joked one of the riders.

"Shut up Gyarados Gary!" shouted Lee Arbok, one of Kahuna's most loyal riders.

"Why should I be scared of you?! Fine! I'll battle you, little girl, on your terms but if I win, which _will_ happen, you two have to give us all your money and valuables. Also, we get your Pokedexes and badges", ordered Kahuna.

The gang hooted at Kahuna's challenge as things got real.

Tracy had a lump in his throat the minute he said Pokedex. "We can't do this Naomi! What if you lose?! We lose everything, including 'you know what'!"

"I won't. Don't worry about your little Pokedex, because I'm going to win!" answered Naomi to Tracy before facing Kahuna.

"I'm in if you are, but tell me one thing. Why do you need our badges and Pokedexes?" she asked.

"It's simple, a trainer losing his badges and Pokedex is the most dishonorable thing that can happen on their journey and someone needs to teach a punk like you some manners!" answered the leader as he dramatically got off of his bike and took out a Pokeball.

"Likewise", said Naomi as she took out one of her Pokeballs from her belt, "Whenever you're ready".

"Go! Persian!" shouted Kahuna as Persian was sent out on the field. The cat-like Pokémon licked its whiskers before it hissed for battle.

"Alright, Persian huh? I think that's a Normal type so a Fighting type sounds good…", noted Naomi as she and Tracy looked it up on their Pokedexes.

"Amazing," muttered Tracy, "This Pokedex tells me everything: their weight, silhouette, diet, behavior, habitat, and abilities too! I can see why the Professor wants me to protect it".

"What's holding you up? Pick a Pokémon already!" whined Kahuna as his Persian grew impatient.

"Whatever. Go! Medicham!" yelled Naomi as she threw her Pokeball onto the field. With another flash of light, another Pokémon joined the field in front of Persian, but this Pokémon was an enigma to everyone except Naomi.

The strange new Pokémon had a human-like body with a gray body and what appeared to be red and yellow pants. Its grey head held a strange red headpiece with three yellow spots in the center with three bulb-like extensions on the top and on the sides. Its large eyes were slightly covered by the headpiece, and its red lips seem to be in a rounded or puckered position not unlike Jynx, noted Tracy.

"I better look this up on the Pokedex," said Tracy as he looked up Medicham's data.

"_Medicham, the Meditate Pokémon_", stated the artificial voice of the Pokedex, "_through the power of meditation, Medicham developed a sixth sense. It gained the ability to use psychokinetic powers. This Pokémon is known to meditate for a whole month without eating_."

"Medi!" cried Medicham as it formed a fighting stance facing the conniving Persian.

"Let the battle begin!" cried the rider identified as Golem Knight, initiating the match.

The riders cheered for their boss as both Pokémon lunged towards each other at break-neck speed.

"Persian! Use Fury Swipes!" barked Kahuna Kakuna.

Persian meowed in response before his claws elongated into daggers and slashed at the incoming Medicham.

Without a moment's notice, Medicham leaped into the air in a series of flips, dodging Persian's attack and leaving Persian's flanks open to attack.

"Now Medicham! Use Brick Break!" shouted Naomi as Medicham's arm's started to glow with a white light.

Still above Persian in the air, Medicham dove down and karate chopped the foe's back.

"Mraw!" cried Persian as Medicham's attack knocked him into the ground.

Medicham got up and victoriously stood over the exhausted Persian as everyone hollered at the quick battle.

"Persian is unwilling to battle any further. Both trainers must switch out and start the second round!" ordered Lee Arbok as he waved his t-shirt in the air like a typical battle referee's flag.

"Fine! But the girlie has to send out her Pokémon first this time!" growled Kahuna as he withdrew his Pokémon.

"You did great out there Medicham, now have a good rest", praised Naomi as she switched out her Pokémon.

"What are you going to choose now?" asked Tracy as Naomi thought for a little bit. He had to admit, although they were defending themselves from a motorcycle gang, seeing new Pokémon excited him.

"I choose you, Poochie!" shouted Naomi as she sent out her Poochyena.

The Bite Pokémon was already set for battle as he let out a low growl at Kahuna.

"You sure have a lot of Pokémon I've never seen before!" declared the gang leader, intrigued by this new opponent, "this will be good".

"Go Weezing!" shouted Kahuna as his next Pokémon was sent out.

"Weezing!" coughed the wheezing Pokémon as it hovered in the air over Poochyena.

"Fight!" yelled Lee Arbok as he waved his shirt flag. The two Pokémon circled each other as they awaited their Trainer's commands.

Tracy knew from past experiences that a Weezing could deliver a toxic blow to one's Pokémon.

"Hey Naomi, watch out for Weezing's poisonous gasses", warned Tracy.

"I don't need any help, thank you very much", replied Naomi rudely as Tracy hushed up with frustration.

"Weezing! Use Smog!" shouted Kahuna. The Weezing's two head begin coughing up smoke into the area, shrouding the two Pokémon in darkness.

"Aw man, I can't even see!" complained one of the coughing members of the biker gang as everyone had trouble breathing in the cloud of smog.

"Shut up whoever said that!" barked Kahuna as he tried to concentrate on the invisible battle that was taking place.

"Poochie! Remember your last battle!" commanded Naomi. Out of the smoke, Poochie took a breath of air before hiding in the smoke once more.

"Smart thinking", muttered Tracy. Naomi's last battle with Poochie ended when he hid in a dust cloud from an unsuspecting Beedril.

Weezing could be heard in the smoke as he struggled to see his foe.

'What is that girl up to', wondered Kahuna. With both Pokémon in such close proximity to each other, it would be impossible not to hit the hidden Poochyena. He then had an idea.

"Weezing! Stay in the smoke and use Self-destruct now!"

"What?! No!" shouted Naomi as she realized her mistake.

The bikers, all around the field, jumped for cover behind their bikes as Weezing was about to blow.

A huge explosion rocked the small field as the smoke dissipated, leaving dust and falling rocks in its place.

"Are we all okay?" asked Stevie Cloyster as everyone dusted themselves off. The smoke cleared, and it was quite the sight.

Poochyena must have been directly under Weezing during the attack, for both had fainted next to each other in a small crater.

"Ha! It looks like I won this round!" gloated Kahuna as Naomi held her exhausted Pokémon in her arms.

"Sure did! Both trainers must switch out their Pokémon and fight in the last round!" ordered Lee Arbok.

"I'm so sorry Poochie," said Naomi sadly as she hugged her Pokémon before withdrawing him, "you deserve a good rest".

"You did your best, even I didn't' expect that" said Tracy in a comforting tone as he tried to cheer up his friend. They had one more round to go, and they needed one more win to beat the gang leader.

"Thanks", replied Naomi with tears as she picked herself up from the ground and faced her opponent.

"Since this is the last round, I'll go first. Go! Graveler!" shouted Kahuna as the Rock Pokémon punched his fists together on the field.

"I hope you rested well. Go Gardevoir!" cried Naomi as her strongest Pokémon joined Graveler on the field.

"Gardi, Gardi", cried Gardevoir in response.

Remembering the last time he saw the Pokémon, Tracy thought that now would be a good time to finally get some data on Gardevoir through the Prototype Pokedex.

"_Gardevoir, the Embrace Pokémon_", said the Pokedex, "_It apparently does not feel the pull of gravity because it supports itself with psychic power. It will give its life to protect its Trainer._"

"Far out!" replied Kahuna, impressed by the data's information on the protective Gardevoir.

"Begin!" ordered Lee Arbok as he waved his flag, signaling the next round.

Graveler wasted little time as he hurled several rocks at his foe.

"Gardevoir, use psychic!" cried Naomi.

Gardevoir's thin body glowed brightly as the hurling rocks stopped in midair.

With a wave of her hand, Gardevoir projected the rocks right back to Graveler, stunning him.

"Use Rock Smash on the rocks", ordered Kahuna. Graveler raised his fists and punched the flying rocks into dust, leaving Gardevoir open for an attack.

"Good, now use Rollout!" shouted Kahuna.

"Not this again. Gardevoir?" said Naomi as she nodded to Gardevoir, who nodded back in response.

The rolling Graveler, like Golem from Flint's gym battle, was lifted into the air by Gardevoir's psychic energy right before they made contact.

"Explosion!" shouted Kahuna as Graveler charged up for self-destruction.

"Boss, wait!" yelled Golem Knight as the bikers jumped for cover again.

"Gardevoir look out!" cried Naomi as time seemed to slow down in the anticipation.

Tracy saw the Graveler explode with immense power, right in front of Gardevoir.

Fortunately for Naomi, she had taught her Kirlia Teleport.

This gave Gardevoir the chance to escape Graveler's blast radius, teleporting right beside Tracy as Graveler blew himself up.

Another explosion quickly rocked the place, knocking everyone back by the sound waves.

It was clear that Gardevoir hadn't been affected by Graveler's attack, leaving the bikers speechless.

Graveler had fainted in another crater, leaving the sulking Kahuna Kakuna to withdraw him.

"The opposing side wins the third round and wins the battle!" exclaimed Lee Arbok before being hushed by some of his angry peers.

"Hooray! We won!" screamed Naomi with glee as she and Gardevoir hugged and danced in a circle.

The bikers sulked in silence while others muttered how overpowered Psychic types are.

"You did it, Naomi! You actually won against a biker gang!" cheered Tracy as he too was allowed to join Gardevoir and Naomi's victory dance.

A minute later, and things had finally calmed down between both parties.

Kahuna slowly swallowed his pride long enough to walk up to Naomi and Tracy.

"It pains me to say it, but you have beaten me fair and square. You two just earned yourself a ride with the Gorubatto Riders", announced Kahuna.

"Not so fast", answered Naomi, "Don't forget I get to rename your gang! What's the matter? Have you no honor?"

Kahuna and the rest of his gang sighed at her ultimatum.

"We bikers may seem rough on the outside, but we do have some sort of honor in keeping promises. You may call us what you will and we will call ourselves that as promised", the leader said.

"Let me think about it on our ride to Cerulean City first", replied Naomi.

"Very well, let's go gang! Our last ride as the Gorubatto Riders!" shouted Kahuna as the circle of riders started their bikes and prepared to take off.

Tracy was nervous as the bikers hollered and gathered up dust behind them. Naomi, on the other hand, had already joined the gang in their yelling and overall camaraderie.

"You can ride with me, kid", said one of the few female riders in the gang as she pulled up next to Tracy.

"Thanks, I'm Tracy. What's your name?" asked Tracy as he got on the back of the lady biker's ride.

"They call me Lola Lapras, nice to meet you", replied the biker as they departed. Meanwhile, Naomi rode with Kahuna Kakuna as the Gorubatto Riders rode off towards the risen sun.

Riding with Kahuna, Naomi shouted happily as the Riders sped past hills, trees, and the beautiful landscape.

Youngsters and lasses alike excitedly ran after the gang as they travelled through the route.

"Woohoo! This is living!" cheered Naomi as Kahuna's bike passed Tracy's.

"Slow down!" warned a worried Tracy to Kahuna, only for Lola to laugh.

"Don't worry, kid! Kahuna is the best rider in the gang. Just seize the moment and enjoy the ride!" laughed Lola.

"What does 'seizing the moment' even mean?!" asked Tracy

"It means this!" answered Lola as she hit the gas and went faster towards Kahuna/Naomi.

Tracy nearly yelped as both bikes raced into the city limits of Cerulean City.

"Have you thought of a name for us yet?" asked Kahuna to Naomi as they continued their ride.

"I think I'll let you keep your gang's name, but only if you do me a huge favor", yelled Naomi.

"Really? What could possibly be so important?" asked Kahuna as they neared the inner city.

"I'm looking for someone," mentioned Naomi as quietly as she could while still being audible over the motorcycle's noise, "a trainer with a thousand Pokémon".

"That sounds like quite the trainer", replied Kahuna, "You mind telling me why you need such a trainer?"

For the next few minutes, Tracy noticed Naomi saying something to Kahuna's ear, something that made Kahuna's face more serious.

After arriving at the center of town, the gang dropped off Tracy and Naomi next to the Pokecenter and refueled their rides while Naomi and Kahuna healed their Pokémon inside.

"Thanks for the ride. You didn't have to keep your promise, but you did. Maybe you guys aren't so bad, Kahuna Kakuna", said Naomi, grateful for their ride with the gang.

"It was nothing, really. We Gorubatto Riders happen to love this city and its bike shop", replied Kahuna.

"Your Pokémon have been healed, is there anything else I can help you with?" asked Nurse Joy.

"That should do it", said Kahuna as he and Naomi met up with Tracy near the Gym.

"I can't wait to battle Misty! I hear she is quite the Water Pokémon Trainer", said Naomi with a look of excitement in her eyes.

"Actually, Misty isn't the gym leader right now. She is on a journey in Johto", mentioned Tracy.

"She isn't? Then who is running the gym?" whined Naomi.

"Her three gorgeous sisters, Daisy, Lily, and Violet!" answered Kahuna with starry eyes.

Naomi and Tracy sighed. 'This is Brock all over again', thought Tracy.

Kahuna was more than willing to accompany Naomi and Tracy to the Cerulean City gym while his gang refueled.

Making it to the door, Tracy smacked right into the gym's locked door with an _oof_.

"What! Gyms can't close! What in the world could they be closing the gym for?!" asked Naomi in frustration.

"It says here that '**_this gym is totally closed for the weekend while me, Daisy, and Violet have our monthly shopping spree at Celadon! Later haters!_**'" said Tracy as he read the sign at the storefront.

Upon hearing the sad news, Naomi screamed at the sky in frustration while Kahuna wiped the tears out of his eyes.

"I guess I can't see them again after all," whimpered Kahuna.

Our sad heroes (and the Gorubatto leader) slowly made it back to the gang as they prepped for their next ride.

"What do we do now?" asked Tracy as he faced Naomi, "do you want to just keep going and head to Saffron City now?"

"I don't know, do you think we could have another ride?" asked Naomi to Kahuna, his face turning red.

"I, err, oh look at the time. Gotta Go!" shouted Kahuna as he ran as fast as he could to his bike.

"What are doing?! Get back here!" shouted a furious Naomi as she took off after him.

"Gorubatto Riders! We must go now!" barked Kahuna as the bikers all took off.

"Later Tracy!" yelled Lola Lapras as she and her fellow bikers sped away.

"Wait! What about your promise?!" shouted Naomi as Kahuna got on his bike.

"I said I'll look into it. I know some people who might know, but listen kid. We ain't a taxi service!" answered Kahuna as he took off with the last members of his gang, howling in triumph over narrowly escaping Naomi's wrath.

The dust settling, Tracy caught up with the panting Naomi as the last biker left town.

"Those idiots! Wait 'til I get my hands on them!" growled Naomi.

"Look, Naomi. I think we should just keep going to Saffron. We did start this journey walking after all", said Tracy.

"Who says I'm a part of your journey?! I'm on my own journey and that is final!" yelled Naomi.

"Right. I get that. But ever since we rode with that gang, I've feel like I need to live a little. I never realized how fun it is to just enjoy living", replied Tracy, "If you want to keep battling Gym Leaders, fine. But I want to cheer you on every step of the way while I run this errand. What do you say?"

Naomi calmed down long enough to see Tracy smile earnestly. 'This lab kid really wants me to travel with him', thought Naomi.

"Fine. You can come with me while I battle Gym Leaders around Kanto, but sooner or later, your errand is going to make us split up. I don't feel like going all the way to the Johto Region, so you are on your own after that", answered Naomi.

The two heroes shook hands in agreement.

"All right, this is incredible!" shouted Tracy, "Our very own adventure!"

"Did somebody say adventure?" asked a very masculine voice from nearby.

"Who said that?" asked Naomi as she and Tracy turned around.

What they saw surprised them. A very tall, muscular man in a green sleeveless shirt and military pants stood a few yards away, blocking the sun's rays.

"The name's Lt. Surge", replied the man as he stomped his left boot into the ground, leaving cracks along the pavement,

"Maybe you two heard of me"…

To Be Continued...


	7. Lt Surge? The Paths We Choose!

(Author's Note: Hey guys, Blah here and it's been awhile! College has just started and it's taken me a while to flesh out this story and deal with everything else in my life. This chapter is a turning point in this story and was inspired by how frustrating life can be when you try to share it with someone special and they want you to follow their dreams instead. I swear you guys won't wait as long next submission.)

When we last saw our two heroes, they were just abandoned by the Gorubatto Riders at the center of Cerulean City. A man known as Lt. Surge has appeared, surprising an awestruck Tracy and leaving Naomi a bit puzzled:

"Lt. Surge! It's really you!" cried Tracy as he ran to shake his hand, "it's an honor to meet you".

"Who's Lt. Surge?" asked Naomi.

"You don't know? He's the electric type gym leader of Vermillion City. He's one of the toughest Gym Leaders in the Kanto Region. He even defeated my friend Ash this one time", replied Tracy as he remembered fondly of his past journey with Ash and how he used to talk of his adventures.

"Really now? Then it sounds like he is quite the battler", said Naomi.

Lt. Surge, meanwhile, stood proudly in the town square as Tracy and Naomi (along with a few Cerulean civilians) watched him in awe.

"As I was saying, is it true that I heard of an adventure?" asked Lt. Surge.

"My friend Naomi and I are travelling around, yes", answered Tracy, "why do you ask?"

"I must warn you not to visit Celadon City", replied Lt. Surge in his incredibly masculine tone, "and judging by the look in your eyes, little girl, you also want to battle me."

"Yes sir! I would love to battle you!" shouted Naomi before Tracy stopped her.

"What was that about Celadon City? Misty's sisters went there!" replied Tracy.

Lt. Surge nodded before he went on, "Yes, Celadon City is now a magnet for the likes of Team Rocket and they are creating problems for the people living there. I'm actually on my way over there to help Erika and Officer Jenny with the problem."

"Erika? You mean the Celadon City Gym Leader?" asked Tracy.

"Yes, that Erika", answered an annoyed Lt. Surge before he continued," I would advise you two to skip that city on your adventure".

"That's okay, we are heading to Saffron City anyways", replied Tracy, "I'm trying to get to the Johto Region and Naomi here is…well, I'm not really sure what her goals are."

"Please Lt. Surge! It would be an honor to battle you!" shouted Naomi excitedly.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe I know your names yet", said Lt. Surge as Tracy and Naomi took turns introducing themselves.

"I'm Tracy Sketchit, a Pokemon Sketch Artist and assistant to Professor Oak", said Tracy with a bow.

"And I'm Naomi Watson, the best trainer from the Hoenn Region", added Naomi.

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you two", said Lt. Surge as he shook their hands, "especially you, Tracy, as I am a big fan of Professor Oak's work. Tell him I said 'hi' for me".

Suddenly, thunder struck as flashes of lightning surged in the sky overhead. Unbeknownst to the trio, the sky had gradually become black as a storm brewed.

"Uh oh, it looks like a storm is coming. You two should probably stay indoors until it stops," suggested Lt. Surge.

"Wait! Can we still have a battle?!" asked Naomi.

"Look kid, I know you came a long way to battle me but I have a job to do and I don't need to waste my time with young trainers like yourself", answered Lt. Surge gruffly.

Naomi was silent for a moment before she realized a way to prove herself to him, "You know, sir, we rode with the Gorubatto Riders here".

"Really?" asked Lt. Surge, lightly astounded, "the Gorubatto Riders are known for their troublemaking. It took me three days to kick them out of my city. Exactly how are you associated with them?"

"Well, I kind of defeated the leader in a battle today and he gave us a ride after losing", replied Naomi, proud of her accomplishment.

"Well, in that case", said Lt. Surge before looking at the stormy sky, "if you show up at my gym in Vermillion City, then I will be happy to battle. For now though, I have a date with Team Rocket."

After agreeing to battle with Naomi, Lt. Surge made his leave and the trio made their farewells.

Tracy and Naomi stood alone in the square as the thunder continued in the sky overhead.

Naomi watched Lt. Surge walk away before she spoke.

"Let's go with him!" suggested Naomi, although it was more an order than a request.

"Are you serious?" asked Tracy before Naomi's face answered his question, "You just agreed to battle him later at his gym. He has to fight Team Rocket in Celadon City first".

"I know that, but think about it", replied Naomi, "with Lt. Surge there, Celadon City has two Gym Leaders to battle. I might even be able to double battle them like I did with Tate and Liza! Plus, it will be fun to take down Team Rocket."

"Are you crazy?! Team Rocket is bad news. They do nothing but steal and destroy things. My friend Ash had his Pokemon stolen by Team Rocket just about every day", warned Tracy.

Naomi, however, was undeterred as she was actually starting to walk in Lt. Surge's direction.

"If Team Rocket failed that many times to steal your friend's Pokemon, then they can't be that much of a problem", she said as she was passing the fountain.

"Wait a minute! If you are choosing to go, then I can't go with you", Tracy said. "I can't put Professor Oak's Pokedex in harm's way. I have to deliver this device in less than two weeks."

"Look man, just because you have an errand to run doesn't mean you can't live a little", replied Naomi. "You have to learn to seize the moment".

"What does that even mean?" asked Tracy, a little frustrated by this point. "That biker girl told me the same thing!"

"It means _live for now_", replied Naomi as a heavy raindrop landed on her cheek, stunning her.

More raindrops fell like marbles as the storm quickly took over the landscape.

"Great", complained Naomi as she faced Tracy, "I guess you win. We need to find some shelter fast."

"Let's go where Lt. Surge said told us", said Tracy, "the Pokecenter".

As the rain started to fall outside, Tracy and Naomi waited in the Pokemon Center and talked over cups of hot chocolate.

Naomi was still disappointed that she couldn't go after Lt. Surge, but she understood why Tracy didn't want to. After all, he was part of some professor's mission or something. She wondered how someone like him could travel alone since he seemed to worry over everything.

Tracy on the other hand was doing most of the talking at their table, telling some tale about the time he witnessed Ash defeat one particular Orange Island Gym Leader.

"…And then Ash won the sled race!" said Tracy as he went on.

"Wow," replied Naomi sarcastically as she rolled her eyes, "do you ever stop talking about your friend? What are some cool things you've done?"

"Well, now that you mention it," muttered Tracy as he pondered for a moment, "I can't really think of anything besides sketching Pokemon and working for the professor, but you weren't supposed to know about that anyways".

"Exactly", replied Naomi as Tracy had made her point, "what did I tell you about seizing the moment? You can't stay cooped up in a lab forever. You got to have fun every once in a while".

"I do have fun! I just don't think running into a Team Rocket infested town is safe is all", defended Tracy. Their old argument was about to resume its course but strangely enough, Naomi grew silent.

'That's odd', thought Tracy. She would have blown up by now. Naomi suddenly grew distant as she stared at something behind Tracy.

Curious, Tracy turned his head and spotted two lasses giggling to each other at the front desk.

"Here's your Pokemon back," said Nurse Joy as she handed three Pokeballs each to the two girls, "We hope to see you again!"

"All right! My Clefairy is itching for another battle!" bragged one of the girls.

"Oh yeah?! Well my Charmander has already gotten me two badges. Think your Clefairy is a match for him?" asked the other Lass as they left the building.

Tracy turned back to Naomi, who looked sullen.

"What's the matter? You wanna battle them or something?" teased Tracy.

"No! It's just that I forgot how young I was when I started my journey", answered Naomi as she shrunk in her seat with unusual shame.

"Why do you look so down?" asked Tracy, "It's not like you to have a mid-life crisis".

"It's not that. I just…" muttered Naomi before changing the subject, "why don't we both call home?"  
"Good idea," said Tracy. He did need to speak to Oak, and Naomi probably missed her family after travelling so far to the Kanto region.

…

"Hello?"

"Hey Professor! Long time no see!"

"Tracy, my boy! How are things going with our little errand?"

"Pretty good. I'm at Cerulean City right now with Naomi."

"I'm glad. I hear there's a massive storm coming. How are you two holding up?"

"We're spending the night at the Pokemon Center until the rain stops. So far, no massive storm."

"Well just in case, I think it's good that you two are staying put. Have you heard about Celadon City?"

"Yes sir. I'm just going to go to Saffron city and take the train to Johto. You don't have to worry. There is one thing though."

"What is it? Charizard isn't giving you a hard time again, is he?"

"No, but I think Naomi and I might split up. She wants to go to Celadon city to face Team Rocket and some Gym Leaders."

"Well then let her go. We must all follow our own paths in life. Sometimes they cross and other times they go their separate ways. You must deliver that Pokedex at all costs, with or without your new friend."

"Yes sir, would you like to see her? She's right here."

Tracy moved to the side allowing the monitor to face Naomi on the other side of the room. Unlike Tracy and Oak's videochat, Naomi was using an old-fashioned phone and whispering intently, a look of sadness still present in her face. She did not see them staring at her as she faced the door.

"She doesn't look as hot tempered as you said she was. Are you sure this is the same spirited girl you told me of?"

"Absolutely. She started acting weird earlier when we were talking. I think it's because she saw two trainers talking about their Pokemon. I asked her about it, but she didn't give me an answer. She might be homesick or something".

"Tracy, I'm only going to say this once so listen closely. You should not trust anyone on this journey. Leave her."

"But you said I could bring her along! She even knows about the Pokedex and everything!"

"I know I did, but she is clearly hiding something from you and she might be a threat to your safety. You should let her go and continue on."

"But she and I are sort of getting along now! I can't just let her go. She's saved me a couple of times already!"

"How do you know she saved you? She could have staged whatever incidents she and you came across. You hardly know anything about this girl and she is trying to put you in harm's way. Just think about it okay? Let me know what you choose tomorrow."

…

Tracy hung up the phone and thought about what Oak had said. Could Naomi be up to something? Tracy had decided not to tell the professor about his run-in with the biker gang, for obvious reasons. He frowned at his predicament before he sensed movement from Naomi's side. She was done talking and was strolling back to his table.

"Who were you talking to?" asked Naomi, feigning interest.

"Just the professor," answered Tracy, not wanting to discuss their conversation.

"About what?" asked Naomi.

"Just about how I need help getting his Charizard to listen to me". He lied.

"If you go with me to Celadon, I can help you train Charizard", proposed Naomi.

"You know I can't do that. What about you? Who did you talk to?" asked Tracy.

"Nobody. Just, um, my mother. I've been gone from home for a week now and she's probably worried. I was supposed to head back to Hoenn once I left my friend's place, but this whole journey is making my stay a little longer."

"Why are you going around Kanto battling Gym Leaders for nothing? I asked you before and you ignored me," asked Tracy.

Naomi ignored Tracy again and changed the subject. "Why don't you sketch my Pokemon? I'm dying to see how skilled you are with Hoenn Pokemon".

Tracy didn't want to fall for her tricks again, but it was too tempting to pass up. Tracy sat at a nearby chair and unloaded his art supplies in his bag. Naomi sent out her three Pokemon: The graceful Gardevoir, the elite Medicham, and the fluffy Poochyena.

For the next hour, Tracy took turns sketching each of her Pokemon with great detail, emphasizing the raw emotion evoked by each Pokémon's form.

Dusting off his masterpiece, Tracy proudly stood up presenting his final product. On three separate sketch sheets contained Naomi's prized Pokemon in their best heroic poses. A fourth sheet had the three of them alongside their trainer in a group photo, Naomi with a wide smile (Tracy had to add it in).

"It's beautiful", praised Naomi.

…

"It's beautiful", said Butch as he and his partner listened in on their recording of Oak's conversation with Tracy.

"That twerp should have known better than to use a public line to discuss such valuable information," added Cassidy as she and Butch laughed evilly.

Both Team Rocket members had been trying to gain Giovanni's admiration for weeks now. Although they had some of the best records in the organization, the two of them always found themselves trying to compete with other Team Rocket pairs, namely Jesse and James. In the past, Butch and Cassidy had reached their criminal peak as numerous failures at capturing Pokemon soon followed once they met Ash and friends.

It was only a day ago that they received a tip from an anonymous source, describing a new type of Pokedex.

"Let's hope our contact was telling the truth", said Cassidy originally before they began their painstakingly tedious surveillance and espionage of the Professor's life. They knew a direct confrontation would lead to trouble, favoring the more indirect approach without Officer Jenny chasing them.

It was only an hour ago that the Professor and his assistant had their conversation. Team Rocket listened their recording over and over until they officially confirmed the existence of something worthwhile to steal.

"This will be like taking Rare Candy from a Baby Pokemon!" laughed Butch.

"Even better! Like taking a Nugget from a Slowpoke! The poor twerp won't stand a chance against us!" shouted Cassidy as the two prepared their next big scheme.

…

Tracy and Naomi, meanwhile, had spent the night at the center like they had planned. Oak was certainly right about a storm coming. A roar of thunder shook the walls as flashes of white light shimmered in the outside sky.

Tracy had released all of his Pokemon (save Charizard) to sleep at his bedside to keep him company throughout the stormy night. Chansey and Venonat huddled together at the bedside while Scyther leaned against the window pane asleep, bubbles coming out of his nose. Diglett was nowhere to be seen as he hid under the bed, keeping his feet hidden from plain sight.

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened and the hall lights filled the dark room.

"Please tell your Marill to stay away from my stuff!" complained Naomi as she tossed Marill onto Tracy's lap.

"It's not Marill's fault! He's just curious is all," defended Tracy as Naomi left the room in a huff.

"Marill, Marill!" cried Marill as he puffed himself up to pout.

"I know you just want to help, buddy, but don't do anything like that again okay? We need to respect her privacy, even if she's being awfully secretive," said Tracy as Marill reluctantly nodded in agreement.

With that settled, Tracy found it easier to fall asleep as his Pokemon slumbered around him.

…

The next morning, Tracy took the time to stretch outside as he took in his surroundings. The sky was still white with clouds, but the rain had stopped. His Marill was still out of his Pokeball, jumping in puddles cheerfully as Naomi went out to join them.

"I guess this is goodbye", said Naomi with a tired look in her eyes. She obviously had trouble sleeping.

"Maybe we'll see each other again," replied Tracy as he faced the road with Marill on his shoulder.

"I doubt it, since I live so far away," she said.

With nothing else to say, the two awkwardly shook hands before splitting up. Naomi was set on finding Lt. Surge at Celadon City to battle many criminals and trainers. Tracy, however, had his own path to lead, with or without a companion.

'That's okay', Tracy thought. Marill has always been by my side. He'll be my companion.

Naomi walked by herself for awhile before deciding to send out her Poochyena to keep her company. They strolled past the fountain where she and Tracy met Lt. Surge yesterday, before she stopped to brood.

"That lousy lab geek!" shouted Naomi in frustration, "Who does he think he is?! Does he think he can just go wherever and do whatever he wants? It's not always about him! I can't believe this is it, after everything we've been through these past few days! What do you think Poochie?"

Poochie barked in agreement before his attention focused on something close by.

"Is there something the matter?" asked a voice from behind. Naomi turned and was surprised to find that it was Lt. Surge in all his glory, still in Cerulean City.

"Lt. Surge? Why do you keep sneaking up on me like that? It's weird. Why are you still here? I thought you would have been in Celadon City by now," she said, curious but on edge.

"Is that the thanks I get for staying?" asked Lt. Surge before letting out a coarse laugh. "It turns out that lightning storms are too dangerous for even an Electric-type Gym Leader like myself. I stayed overnight like you did. I would have left an hour ago this morning, but it seems I owe a young girl a battle…"

TO BE CONTINUED...


End file.
